While crime rates have dropped in Sooke since the start of the pandemic, career criminals continue to be arrested for repeat offences.
 
The criminal activities aren't sexy enough to grab headlines, or trigger press conferences, but they directly impact almost every resident in the community, says RCMP Sgt. Kevin Shaw.
 
In Sooke, police have identified and targeted prolific offenders, often responsible for multiple, simultaneous, criminal complaints.
 
According to the latest available data from Statistics Canada, Sooke RCMP responded to 5,714 calls for service in 2021, down from 5,857 in 2020 and 5,762 in 2019.
 
Specific types of crimes and crime rates may vary from year to year.
 
Additionally, crime rates may not always reflect the actual level of crime since many incidents go unreported.
 
To combat recidivism, Sooke police have been paying particular attention to the release conditions of repeat offenders and recommending that those who continually victimize the community be held in custody pending trial.
 
The majority of those applications are unsuccessful, Shaw said.
 
Despite the challenges, the RCMP recently succeeded in the case of a rash of crimes committed by one individual in Sooke.
 
The offender was held and jailed for 30 days.
 
"I think that was an appropriate sentence and sent a message and gave a 30 day reprieve for those victims," Shaw said.
 
Shaw said it is the police's responsibility to be in tune with the judiciary's decisions and to react to support the community.
 
"We don't make the rules," he said.
 
A significant increase in population is prompting Sooke to consider adding more RCMP officers.
 
On 21 Feb 2023 council's committee of the whole recommended that two officers be approved in the 2024 budget, two in 2025, and one in 2026.
 
Mayor Maja Tait said increasing the complement of officers would allow more time for community engagement and enable the council to take preventative measures to improve overall public safety.
 
Adding two officers would be a significant step toward providing 24 hour coverage.
 
"Why this matters, importantly, is our ability to provide the service we're contracted to provide. It's challenging for anybody, particularly a police officer, to stand up and say we're not doing a good job," Shaw said.
 
"But I will tell council that we're not doing as good a job as we should be doing, and what this community expects us to do. We hear that all the time, we acknowledge it, and it weighs heavily on us."
 
Coun. Jeff Bateman, council's representative on the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee, said many programs are available to ease pressure on police, and to address the root causes of crime.
 
Still, many of those programs include funding from the federal and provincial governments.
 
The Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee has alternative approaches to addressing the repeat offenders issue, such as restorative justice and other community-based programs.
 
Last year, based on referrals from police departments and Crown counsel, 71 cases were handled by Restorative Justice Victoria (RJV).
 
Twenty-three cases involved youth offenders under age 25.
 
RJV case files are not disclosed where they originate for privacy reasons.
 
"RJV lacks stable funding and has been lobbying for many years to secure it," Bateman said.
 
"To do so, RJV must recruit skilled practitioners and pay them appropriately."
 
Victoria, Esquimalt, and Oak Bay are the three Capital Region municipalities that fund RJV directly along with gaming grants, Victoria Foundation, Sisters of St. Anne, and others.
 
The federal and provincial governments are developing strategies that include an increased focus on tackling repeat offenders, reforming the bail system, and more mental health response teams.
 
Calls by type include:
 
- 13 sexual assaults;
 
- 80 assaults;
 
- 11 break and enter – business;
 
- 13 break and enter – residence;
 
- 9 vehicle thefts;
 
- 47 theft from vehicle;
 
- 194 mental health act;
 
- 166 mischief/property damage under $5,000.
 
Kevin Laird.